More Than A Yodel In Aisle 8- Mason Ramsey Stuns Fine Line

Some of my friends were surprised when I told them what show I was going to on Saturday and honestly I don’t blame them. I’m not typically the one to fall into pop culture or the latest Youtube sensation but the second that Mason Ramsey announced a show at The Fine Line I just knew I had to be there. Not familiar with Mason Ramsey? Sure you are. Remember that kid that was caught yodeling in the aisles of Walmart and turned into a sensation over night and even landed a set at Coachella? Yeah, who was I to no to an opportunity to see him.

Jenna Paulette kicked the show off and I instantly felt out of place. With songs about falling love with a guy that has a heavy southern drawl to her closing song about a F-150 truck, I was definitely out of element. Although I couldn’t relate to her country rooted songs and felt as though I had missed my chance to break out my cowboy boots and hat, I fell in love with Jenna’s personality. The way she connected with the crowd was more than enough reason for me to stay right near the stage as if to not miss a single moment. She was playful and cute and clearly cared that she left the audience with a good vibe and that’s exactly what she did. When her quick opening set was done, she went straight back to the merch table where she was greeted by fan after fan. I watched the interactions in awe. Instead of just shaking hands and pointing fans to her merchandise that was on sale, she took the time to comment on what people were wearing or their smile and actually asked their name. Sure, the music wasn’t for me (and I may or may not have been second guessing my decision to come to this show) but Jenna’s personality and friendliness had me sold on this beautiful songstress.

The only other opening act for this quick moving show was Ernest. Although I wasn’t alone when it came to having no clue who this man was, I was the only one not singing along to the hits he had written for other country artists including Chris Lane and Morgan Wallen. His almost hip-hop infused country sound was infectious and although the audience seemed to be having a great time just talking through Ernest’s set (and Jenna’s set for that matter), each song was followed up a warm applause. Ernest’s set felt much shorter than it actually was but I attribute that to the upbeat songs and my people watching. I was completely out of my element throughout the night which made the people watching absolutely prime. Last night was Ernest’s last night on this tour before he joined up with Chris Lane for a tour. The fact that I even know Chris Lane’s name (not his music, not going to lie) means that he is a force in the country scene so to be able to catch Ernest prior to such a giant tour was a treat for the country fans in the audience.

Saturday night’s show wasn’t sold out but the cheering that happened prior to headliner Mason Ramsey taking the stage could have fooled you into thinking otherwise. As mentioned, Mason is the 11-year old that was caught on video yodeling Hank William’s “Lovesick Blues” at a Walmart in Illinois. Now twelve years old (not kidding) he has already had a bigger music career than some of the bands I see. Although I was definitely there for the shticky-ness of seeing the Walmart yodeling boy, I think deep down I wanted to see what else this kid had up his sleeve and that’s exactly what I got.

Again, I’m not a country fan. I’m not one of those people that says I’ll listen to everything but country but I really don’t seek it out. That being said, I ended up loving every moment of Mason’s set. Maybe it was the hilarity of this twelve year old singing old Hank Williams’ songs or maybe it was the fact that he was actually talented beyond just his signature yodel, regardless, I was captivated by this very tiny human and could have stood there all night watching him. His banter between himself and the audience is exactly what you would probably imagine– awkward. Although he came off as professional as he played and sang wearing his silky white shirt, cowboy hat, giant beltbuckle and jeans, there was no straying away from the fact that this was only a kid and that added something very special and genuine to his performance.

A mix between originals and covers, the audience got to see a side of Mason that they may or may not have been ready for. Sure, we all know him as that yodel kid but by the third song of his nearly twenty song set, it was clear that he will not go down in history solely as “that yodel kid”. If this kid has this much talent at such a young age, there’s no telling where he will go in the future and although I’m not typically one for country music, I was absolutely go back to see Mason Ramsey every time he comes to town. There was something cute, genuine, and stunning about his set that had me walking out of The Fine Line with a giant smile on my face.

Go see that one hit wonder. Go see that viral video sensation. You never know what you’ll get. It could end up being so much more than you had ever imagined like Mason Ramsey ended up being for me.